


Congratulations, It's A Dodo

by cestlavieminako



Category: Kamen Rider Zero-One
Genre: AU within an AU, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-08
Updated: 2019-12-09
Packaged: 2021-02-26 03:20:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21726652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cestlavieminako/pseuds/cestlavieminako
Summary: Fuwa gets a firsthand look at how callous Horobi is, and decides that the best course of action is to get out, especially when he finds himself the proud papa to a mysterious Humagear baby dodo.
Relationships: implied Horobi/Fuwa
Comments: 4
Kudos: 20





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This kind of takes place in the Fuwagear AU-verse, but just totally fucks off from any kind of story to focus on Fuwa suddenly becoming a dad. The whole idea is based off a comic I saw on Twitter, but I can't find it again. I pride myself on taking sad content and trying my damndest to make it NOT sad anymore.

Horobi had been so intent on retrieving the Dodo Key, that he’d missed the egg that had tumbled across the ground when the Dodo Magia had been destroyed.

But Jin hadn’t.

The entire battle—the entire _situation_ , really—had saddened him. Ansatsu had been his friend, his first real friend, and things had gone so wrong all at once.

The egg had rolled away from the explosion, coming to rest by Jin’s feet. He regarded it curiously, before bending down to pick it up. It was large enough to fit in his cupped hands with little room to spare, and was a pale gray with pink speckles scattered across the shell.

Birds laid eggs, Jin recalled. Was this…from Ansatsu? Could they even _do_ that?

In the end, Jin carefully tucked the egg into a pocket. If it was a parting gift from his friend, then he wanted to keep it. He could ask Horobi about it later.

He wondered if it would hatch.

*

Later, once they returned to the lair, Horobi immediately busied himself with analyzing the data on the Dodo Key, and Jin knew he would be busy for hours. Maybe even days.

He carefully withdrew the egg from his pocket, relieved that it appeared to be unharmed, and noticed that it felt warm to the touch. Whatever laid within seemed to be safe, he hoped.

He’d been so caught up in examining the egg, that he hadn’t noticed Fuwa’s return to the room, until he sat down nearby. “What’s that?”

Jin started, glad that he managed to not drop the egg, but he couldn’t help but bring it closer to his chest. This was _his_ treasure!

“Easy, I’m not going to try and take it from you,” Fuwa said, his voice soft, so as to not attract Horobi’s attention. He’d just been released from one of Horobi’s punishments, and he had no desire for an encore. “Is that an egg?”

Jin nodded, but still held it close. “I found it after Ansatsu-chan…Dodo…got blown up,” he finally replied, his voice just as soft as Fuwa’s had been.

Fuwa’s eyes widened slightly, and Jin couldn’t help but wrap his arms more protectively around the egg, Surely now Fuwa would try to take it!

“Did…it come from him?” Fuwa asked, the frowned. “Can a Humagear even lay eggs?”

“That’s what I thought, too!” Jin said, nodding excitedly. “I don’t know, but…if it was part of Ansatsu-chan…he was my only friend. I want to keep it.”

Fuwa saw the sadness flicker across Jin’s face as he spoke, and in that moment, he looked like nothing more than a child who had lost the most important thing in his life.

“Keep what?”

They both started at Horobi’s sudden question, neither of them having noticed that he’d moved and now stood before them, regarding Jin and his strange new item.

“I…I found this. When Dodo blew up,” Jin said, both arms wrapped around the egg. “It feels warm…and it reminds me of him. I can hear feathers rustling when I put my ear against the shell.”

“Humagears cannot lay eggs,” Horobi stated, matter-of-factly. “If you were to crush it, there would be nothing inside.”

“No!”

“You’re upset, Jin. You’re just imagining things. You should rest.”

Jin stuck his lower lip out. “I don’t want to.”

“Jin…I know what’s best for you. Now come.”

Horobi reached down and grasped Jin’s arm, pulling him to his feet. The egg tumbled from his grasp, and Fuwa inhaled sharply, certain that the shell would crack on the hard concrete floor. But it appeared to be intact, and for reasons unknown, he scooped it up and tucked it inside his shirt. As it rested against his skin, Fuwa thought that it did, indeed, feel warm…and he could have sworn he felt the thrumming of a heartbeat.

Then his attention was brought back to Jin, who laid still on the reclining chair by Horobi’s workstation, and he watched as Horobi slid a cable beneath Jin’s shaggy hair, clicking it into his ear port. Fuwa watched Horobi bring something up on one of his computer screens, before tapping a key. “DELETE? Y/N” appeared, and Horobi tapped a key. A progress bar flashed, and what had been on the screen disappeared.

“What are you doing?” Fuwa demanded. Horobi had clearly done something to Jin’s memories—his databanks—while he was powered down!

“Ensuring that he will not be distracted by foolishness any longer,” Horobi replied, deleting another line of data, before meeting Fuwa’s horrified gaze and smirking. “I know what’s best for my son.”

Fuwa’s mouth dropped open. Son..? How was that even possible? He knew nothing about the two of them, not really, and for some reason, Fuwa felt shaken to his core, knowing that someone could so callously destroy the memories of someone he called his son.

“Once I’m through with this, perhaps I should wipe this from your memory banks as well,” Horobi mused, as he finished his task and brought Jin back online. “That was more information than you need to know.”

Fuwa watched Jin open his eyes blearily, looking for all the world like a child who’d been woken from a sound sleep. He blinked, then looked around.

“How do you feel, Jin?”

Jin blinked up at Horobi. “Horobi..?” A few more blinks, and he met Fuwa’s gaze. “Fuwafuwa-chan, too.”

“That’s right, Jin. Just the three of us,” Horobi said. “As always.”

Jin made a small sound of affirmation, before he rose from the chair and stretched.

Impossible…had Jin forgotten about Ansatsu? The egg? Had…had Horobi done this before? The very thought sickened Fuwa. If Jin were truly his son, then Horobi was a terrible father, he thought, feeling a surge of anger rise as he glanced between the two. 

Several things happened in the next moment.

Horobi turned his gaze on Fuwa, and took a step toward him.

Fuwa took a step back, wondering if he could reach the Assault Wolf Key before Horobi got to him. He wouldn’t let that bastard reset him, not without a fight!

The egg, nestled within the folds of Fuwa’s shirt, shifted. He could have sworn for a moment that it moved.

There was a crack, and Fuwa felt something wet brush against his stomach.

And suddenly, the head of a freshly-hatched baby dodo popped out of his shirt, before it let loose with a shrill screech that shouldn’t have been able to come from such a small creature.

Horobi stopped in his tracks, cursing softly.

The noise attracted Jin’s attention, and he got to his feet, taking a few steps closer. “What’s that?”

The baby dodo shook itself as best it could, before turning to nuzzle itself closer to Fuwa’s chest. Its eyes opened, blinked, then turned upward, meeting Fuwa’s. “Papa.”

“You can talk?” Fuwa managed, still staring at the small creature that, even now, was smearing some form of fluid on his skin as it cuddled closer, and he put an arm up to hold the creature closer.

It had called him papa.

No way in hell would he allow Horobi to take it from him, he thought to himself. 

Jin had moved even closer, a look of delight on his face when he saw the baby dodo curled up against Fuwa’s chest, and he tentatively reached out to pat its head. “Yuck, it’s all wet. But so cute! Fuwafuwa-chan, where’d he come from?”

So Horobi had not only wiped Jin’s memories of Ansatsu, but also those of finding the dodo egg, Fuwa realized. But now that the egg had hatched, and the baby dodo had made a very loud entrance into the world, Jin had become aware of its existence once again. Fuwa didn’t know how frequently a reset could be done on a Humagear, but surely if done too often, like with electronics being overused, it would lead to permanent damage. At least, he hoped that were the case. If everyone present knew about the baby dodo, then Horobi couldn’t do a simple reset and get rid of the evidence. Especially now that the dodo had hatched, and seemed to sense that Horobi was a threat; Fuwa could feel soggy feathers puffing up beneath his fingers, and he knew that Jin’s presence was not the reason for it. 

No, the baby dodo was staring at Horobi, knowing without a doubt that he could not be trusted.

“So cute~” Jin said, grinning at the baby dodo. “Hey, what’s his name?”

“Ansachu,” Fuwa replied, without even thinking.

“Ansachu? That’s kind of weird,” Jin said with a giggle, before trailing off, his gaze looking vacant for just a moment.

Something in the way Horobi looked at Jin gave Fuwa pause. Could it be possible that, despite the reset, Jin’s memories—his feelings—were somehow still there? Perhaps they weren’t gone, but merely buried. 

“Leave it alone, Jin. That beast is dangerous,” Horobi finally said, with a final glare at Fuwa that promised a multitude of unpleasantness just as soon as he could get him away from the dodo. But for the moment, he went back to his workstation, continuing with whatever he’d been doing before he’d been interrupted by Jin and Fuwa’s whispers about the dodo egg.

They were safe for the moment, at least.

Fuwa sat down on the ratty couch, finding a square of cloth laying on the floor that didn’t look too disgusting, and he dipped the corner of it into the nearly full bucket of rainwater, before he carefully withdrew Ansachu from his shirt and started to slowly wipe the goop from his feathers. After a moment, Fuwa paused in his task to shrug his shirt off. There was a trail of what looked like oil across the front from where Ansachu had moved around after hatching, and the shards of the egg fell onto the floor. Fuwa dunked the shirt into the bucket, trying to get the mess off the fabric, before wringing it out and draping it across a nearby table to dry. After a moment’s thought, he slipped the remains of the eggshell into the inner pocket he’d sewn into his hooded overshirt. For some reason, he didn’t want Horobi to have access to them. 

It took some time, but there was plenty of water in the bucket, and eventually Ansachu looked much cleaner than before. He flapped his little wings and shook his feathers in an attempt to dry off, and Fuwa looked around for something relatively clean to dry him with. 

“Jin. Keep an eye on our friend Fuwa while I’m out.”

“Ok~!”

Fuwa looked up from his work, seeing that Horobi had paused by the door, then came over to where he was sitting, leaning in to grab Fuwa’s chin so he couldn’t look away.

“When I return…be ready to take your punishment. I’m quite displeased with you, Isamu. When I’m through with you, you’ll be begging me for forgiveness.”

Ansachu squawked angrily, snapping at Horobi, and he drew back, fixing a murderous glare on the baby dodo. “I’ll take great pleasure in taking you apart,” he hissed, then turned and left the room.

Fuwa sucked in a deep breath, relieved that Horobi had left for the moment, but then he felt the usual anxiety in the pit of his stomach. He had no clue what Horobi had planned for him, but it would be nothing good. More pain, more humiliation, another night in chains. He couldn’t allow that to happen now, not with Ansachu around. He had no doubt in his mind that Horobi would make good on his threat to take Ansachu apart. He was an enigma, and Horobi would certainly want to study him, find out exactly how he’d come into existence, and how he could use him to further Metsubojinrai’s evil plans.

Fuwa hadn’t contemplated escape in weeks, but now things had changed. If he couldn’t get out, he at least needed to get Ansachu somewhere safe, out of Horobi’s grasp.

But then his gaze settled on Jin. Jin, who still looked slightly dazed from the reset. Jin, whose father had carelessly erased great chunks of his memory, who knew how many times. Jin, who definitely would not allow Fuwa to leave; Horobi had told him to watch Fuwa, and Jin always followed Horobi’s orders. 

Ansachu curled up against Fuwa’s bare skin, cooing contentedly as he shook his feathers and drifted off to sleep. Fuwa absently ran his fingers across the soft plumage as he tried to think of a course of action to take. Everything seemed so hopeless. The same problems came to his mind—where would he go if he could escape? He no longer had a home. His former allies would sooner destroy him than help him. Everyone would be out to destroy him, and between AIMS and Metsubojinrai, someone would catch up with him sooner or later. And regardless of who found him, he knew that poor Ansachu would suffer.

Then his thoughts drifted to Aruto.

Fuwa’s hand stilled on Ansachu’s back. Would Aruto help them? His trust and belief in Humagears was unshakable, and even though Fuwa had scoffed at his naivete when he’d been human, now…now he felt a small glimmer of hope. 

As he thought things over, the large orb that Jin seemed so fond of—the source of most of the light in the room—went dark.

“Huh? Why’d it get so dark? Ah! My orb!” Jin exclaimed, hurrying over to the table it sat upon, and gave it a few tentative pokes. “What happened to it?”

“Maybe the bulb burned out,” Fuwa absently replied, then paused. This was perfect! The orb needed a replacement light bulb, and surely there weren’t any around…

Jin hurried over to the shelf nearest the door, taking down a box and beginning to rummage through it, and Fuwa’s heart sank. If a spare light bulb turned up, that would ruin any ideas he’d had!

“We don’t have any more light bulbs!” Jin wailed. “What do we do?”

“Can’t we go out and get more?” Fuwa asked, fighting to keep his voice level and calm.

Jin frowned. “I don’t know…Horobi said I had to watch you…”

“That’s why I said ‘we.’ I know you wouldn’t leave me alone here, and you wouldn’t send me out alone, right? So we’ll both go, and bring Ansachu so he can get some fresh air,” Fuwa suggested. “It’s really dark in here with the orb not working, and it’ll be nighttime before you know it.”

“Well…yeah…”

Fuwa reached for his shirt, grimacing when he realized how wet and slimy it still felt. “I might need a new shirt, though…do you have anything extra?”

Jin nodded, grinning. “Yeah, of course! There’s a bunch of stuff next door. C’mon.” he paused, then tried to look as serious and threatening as he could. “But stay right by me, ok? I gotta watch you!”

Fuwa nodded, rising from the couch and holding Ansachu close as he followed Jin to the next room, which wound up being full of boxes and other odds and ends. A heavy mildew smell filled the air, and Fuwa felt fairly certain that anything he wore would carry the odor. Once they were outside, though, it wouldn’t matter as much. They just had to get outside. They’d get light bulbs, and then Fuwa would have to figure out a way to get them close enough to the Hiden building so he could speak to Aruto…although he wasn’t certain how he’d manage that, since he’d been linked with Metsubojinrai. He couldn’t just ask a receptionist to patch him through to Aruto’s office. Were there any payphones still around the area? 

Wait…he swore he’d remembered hearing that Humagears could speak to one another. Some way of linking something up. God, he should have paid more attention to things like that! But his hatred of Humagears kept him from learning anything but the absolute basics, and even that, he struggled with.

As Jin rummaged through a box, tossing aside clothing that had too much water damage or had actual mold growing on it, Fuwa closed his eyes. “God, please, let me figure this out. If I could just link to Izu, then…”

“President Hiden’s secretary, Izu, speaking.”

Fuwa had to slap a hand over his mouth to keep from shouting in surprise when he heard her voice in his head.

“Hello?”

“I-Izu? It’s…this is Fuwa.” Before she could say anything—or, worse, terminate the connection—he hurried on, “I need to speak to Aruto. This is important, and I swear it’s not a trick. Please. I need help.”

There was a pause where Fuwa thought he had been disconnected, but then Izu spoke up. “I have passed your request on to Aruto shachou. He has agreed to meet you in half an hour at the Hiden building. You would be arrested on sight, so you must be cautious. Be advised that if you or anyone associated with you pose a threat to Aruto shachou, you will be exterminated.”

Fuwa gulped, but nodded, even though she could not see it. “I’ll be there. Thank you, Izu…”

Ansachu squirmed in his arms, and Fuwa opened his eyes, terminating the link to Izu. And not a moment too soon, he realized, as Jin turned to him, triumphantly holding up one of the ugliest shirts he had ever laid eyes on. But at least it seemed dry and fairly clean. He accepted the shirt from Jin and struggled to slip it on while keeping a hold on Ansachu.

“I can hold him, if you need me to. I mean…if it’s ok. I’m not gonna steal him or anything,” Jin said, plucking Ansachu from Fuwa’s arms and grinning at him. “You’re a cute little birdie, Ansachu. Don’t worry, your papa just needs to get dressed, and I’ll give you back, ok?”

Fuwa slipped the shirt on, feeling anxious until Ansachu had been returned to him. 

“Oh! Here,” Jin said, holding out a length of fabric. “Hold still. Lemme just…drape this across here…tie this here…will that hold? Yeah, it should. See, now you can put Ansachu in it so your hands are free.”

Fuwa hadn’t expected that, and for a moment, he couldn’t help but feel touched. There were moments when Jin seemed kind, but he also knew that in the next moment, he could be holding a gun to your head. Maybe it had to do with witnessing the reset, but Fuwa couldn’t help but feel a bit more fond of Jin all of a sudden. “Thank you,” he murmured, getting Ansachu settled in the fabric, pleased that it held up under his weight and provided a comfortable sling for him to rest in.

“Ok! You have clothes, Ansachu has a nice spot to nap, I’ve got money for the light bulbs…let’s go!” Jin declared.

Fuwa nodded, following him down several dark hallways, before they emerged outside, where the sun had moved across the sky and would be setting within several hours. Fuwa let Jin take the lead, making sure to stay close enough so they could see one another, just so Jin wouldn’t worry about him trying to take off. That, and Fuwa still hadn’t left the base more than a handful of times, and knew he wouldn’t be able to find his way out alone.

About twenty minutes had elapsed since his call to Izu, Fuwa estimated. They had to get to town and buy the light bulbs, and then Fuwa had to figure out a way to meet Aruto without Jin getting suspicious (or, even worse, without him deciding to attack, which would only result in terrible things). He knew he wouldn’t be able to get away from Jin for the meeting, so he’d have to bring him along. He’d have to smooth things over so it wouldn’t be a disaster from the start.

As they crossed the bridge and headed for town, Fuwa suddenly felt less than hopeful about everything.

*

Somehow, the trip didn’t wind up being a huge disaster. Fuwa hadn’t ever been much for fashion, so he hadn’t ever realized how many people, young and old, went out wearing some truly outrageous things, so his outfit didn’t cause anyone to bat an eyelash (aside from one teenager who had complimented him on his “vintage” shirt. Fuwa still hadn’t figured out if the kid had been serious or had been making fun of him). He’d put his hooded shirt on over everything before they’d left, and he kept the hood pulled down low over his eyes. He didn’t know if AIMS had released any photos of Metsubojinrai (and him, by unfortunate association), and he didn’t want to attract any more attention.

Jin, on the other hand, seemed to be having fun watching all of the people they encountered, peering into shop windows. It took them an additional twenty minutes to reach the hardware store, where Fuwa was relieved to see a display of boxes of light bulbs close to the register. 

Then Ansachu peered out of the fabric, before leaning out and delicately snatching a bolt from the next display with his beak.

“Ansachu, no, that’s not…” Fuwa began, then trailed off as Ansachu took a bite out of the bolt, crunching noisily.

“He’s…eating it,” Jin said.

Fuwa nodded wordlessly. Until now, he hadn’t realized that Humagears ate anything. But then again, Ansachu wasn’t exactly a standard Humagear, if he even _was_ one.

Ansachu finished chewing, before making a noise that sounded suspiciously like a burp, before settling back to sleep.

Jin picked up a bag and dropped a handful of bolts into it, handing it to Fuwa. “These probably taste better than anything that’s laying around the base.”

Fuwa didn’t doubt that. And, if he had anything to say about it, Ansachu would never see the inside of the base again. 

He paid for the light bulbs and bolts, and they left the hardware store. Fuwa glanced at the clock before they left, alarmed to discover that he had to be at least twenty minutes late for his meeting with Aruto by now, maybe even more.

“It’s gonna start getting dark…we better head back,” Jin declared.

“Why don’t we walk a little bit more?” Fuwa blurted.

“Well…I guess. Ansachu probably likes the fresh air, right?” Jin finally agreed.

Fuwa nodded, hoping he didn’t look as relieved as he felt. Now, he just needed to get them walking in the direction of the Hiden building. And he had to pray that Aruto had faith in him and would still be waiting.

By the time the building came into view, another ten minutes had passed, and although Fuwa wanted to run as fast as he could, he didn’t want to set off any alarm bells for Jin, who had already noticed the building and looked a bit hesitant.

“Hey…that’s where Zero-One works. Why’d we come here?” Jin asked. “Fuwafuwa-chan, you’re not up to something, are you?”

“Of course not. I don’t want to do something that’ll earn me another punishment,” Fuwa said, quite sincerely. “I have a plan, but I need you to act like this is all perfectly normal and not immediately attack Hiden on sight.”

“I don’t know…”

“Remember, you _are_ still keeping an eye on me,” Fuwa reminded him. “So you won’t get in trouble. And you’ll be helping me out, too.”

Jin still looked undecided, but when Fuwa glanced past him, he saw Aruto waiting at a bench where Hiden employees could take their breaks. He glanced at his cell phone, then looked around, before getting to his feet.

No, Fuwa thought to himself. He couldn’t let him leave! 

“Trust me, Jin, ok?” Fuwa said, reaching out to grasp his hand. “You’re like my accomplice. You trust me, right? And I trust you.”

Ansachu chose that moment to lay his wing on their hands, and Fuwa couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Who’s that?” 

Fuwa noticed Jin stiffen slightly when he heard Aruto’s voice, but he gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. “Trust me. It’ll be all right.”

Finally, Jin sighed and nodded.

Fuwa took a careful step toward where Aruto waited, looking into the darkness, then took another step, praying that he wouldn’t be stepping into a trap. “Shachou.”

Aruto frowned. “You’re nearly half an hour late.”

Fuwa hesitantly stepped out of the trees. “Sorry. I…it’s…been an eventful day.”

“What do you want…” Aruto’s voice trailed off as Jin stepped up next to Fuwa, and he took a step back. “Metsubojinrai!”

Fuwa saw Jin tense up, regardless of any promise he’d made to not fight. “Jin, it’s ok. Hey…um…here, hold Ansachu for a minute, would you?” he said, lifting the baby from where he’d been napping and handing him over to Jin.

Aruto’s eyes followed the exchange, and Fuwa noticed his eyes widen slightly when he took in the baby dodo’s form. “What’s that?”

“Kind of a long story,” Fuwa said, glancing at Jin, who—as he’d hoped—was distracted with Ansachu, who had woken up. Jin rummaged in the bag for another bolt, and held it out to Ansachu, who happily grabbed it in his beak, noisily crunching it.

Fuwa took a step closer to Aruto, leaning in. “Look, shachou, I know you don’t trust me since I’m…this. But I need help.” He risked a quick glance at Jin, who was still occupied with Ansachu, who was reaching his wings toward the bag for more bolts. “ _We_ need your help.”

“What do you mean?”

“I want to ask you for sanctuary. For the three of us.” Fuwa held up a hand before Aruto could reply. “Horobi reset Jin. Wiped out bits of his memories while I watched. I don’t think it’s the first time, either. He’s unhinged. He’s done…things…to me, if I don’t cooperate. I think he planned on resetting me, too, but Ansachu fouled that up. Horobi wants to get rid of him, too. He’s a mystery, but he’s just a baby. I can’t let him get hurt.”

Aruto blinked, trying to process everything that Fuwa had just told him.

“Jin is very loyal to Horobi, but he doesn’t realize what’s been done to him. All his memories of Ansatsu were wiped. Horobi just deletes things he doesn’t like. It’s just…it’s not right. I don’t want him to get hurt again.”

“OW! My finger isn’t food, Ansachu!”

Fuwa stepped over and took Ansachu from Jin, absently jiggling him in his arms until he fell asleep again. 

“He…eats? He’s not a Humagear?” Aruto asked, peering at Ansachu’s sleeping form.

“I’m not really sure. He hatched,” Fuwa said. He slipped a hand into his pocket, withdrawing one of the eggshell shards, and discreetly handed it to Aruto. 

“It’s getting late,” Jin pointed out. “Horobi’s gonna be mad if we stay out too long.”

Before Fuwa could reply, Ansachu woke up, squawking loudly, and flapping his wings. There was a sudden flash of light, and when they looked again, he no longer looked like a baby dodo. Instead, he looked like a tiny Ansatsu, with a small pair of red wings on his back. 

“Wh-wh-what just happened?” Aruto stammered.

Fuwa didn’t reply, as Ansachu landed in his arms and buried his face in his chest.

Jin, however, stared at Ansachu’s new form, a blank look on his face. Something about him…he looked…familiar, somehow. But he hadn’t seen that face before…had he..?

“Jin?” Fuwa reached out, touching his shoulder, but Jin didn’t move or respond. “What happened? Jin!”

“You said that Horobi wiped his memories of Ansatsu, right? Maybe…something might still be there,” Aruto suggested.

“That’s why I don’t want to let him go back there!” Fuwa said, feeling desperate as he looked at Aruto. “Even a Humagear’s brain can’t take that much altering, can it? Horobi will destroy him, at this rate.” He reached out, his fingers wrapping around Aruto’s arm, trying to not notice how he flinched ever so slightly. “Please, shachou. Help us.”

After several moments—where Jin still did not move—Aruto finally nodded. “All right. Help me bring him around back. I’ll see what I can do.”


	2. Chapter 2

“Aruto shachou, this does not seem like a wise choice.”

“Izu, I can’t just turn them away. There’s a baby. And…I want to trust Fuwa-san when he says that something is really wrong.”

Aruto had called Izu to open one of the hidden doors at the back of the building, and he and Fuwa had struggled to carry Jin inside. Not wanting anyone to see that there were two Humagears linked to a terrorist organization in the building, Aruto had asked Izu if there were any other rooms that were out of sight, maybe even soundproofed. The lab wasn’t an option; Aruto wanted to trust Fuwa, but he certainly wasn’t about to drop them in a room that was very vital to their operations. But since finding out about the secret tunnels that spanned the building, Aruto would have bet that there were more rooms that he didn’t know about. The Hiden building was huge, and he was coming to realize that there were more secrets and mysteries surrounding his life than he would have ever dreamed.

Izu hadn’t seemed as optimistic and trustworthy as Aruto, but she’d led them to a room just a tad smaller than the lab, covered with layers of dust and cobwebs, sheets that were once white covering the seats. The lights worked, and there was plenty of room for everyone, so they all shuffled in.

“Shachou, listen. It might be best if you restrain both myself and Jin. Jin, I don’t know how he’ll react when he comes out of it. And…”

Fuwa trailed off abruptly, feeling pressure around his neck from the collar. Damn it…he hadn’t considered until he’d begun speaking, that Horobi could find him at any time with that damn thing. 

“But…”

“There’s no time!” Fuwa shouted, fighting to keep control, but he could feel the collar’s programming interfering with his own will. “Horobi can control me with—“

Ansachu woke up, his form shimmering to that of the baby dodo, before he shot out of the sling, screeching loudly.

Aruto dropped back a few steps, noticing that Fuwa’s headset now flashed red. “He’s been hacked?”

Then Fuwa’s fingers were closing around Aruto’s throat, lifting him off the ground, before flinging him across the room. Izu intercepted, trying to soften Aruto’s landing, but even still, the wind was knocked out of him, and he sank to the floor, gasping.

Fuwa began to advance on them, Forceriser in hand…

There was a streak of red as Ansachu flew in front of Fuwa, quickly darting behind him before he could react, and his beak met the collar. There was a short burst of what sounded like electronic feedback, and the collar cracked, but did not fall.

Ansachu continued to screech loudly, before grabbing one of the severed ends of the collar and beginning to pull.

That was when Aruto noticed what looked like tendrils, extending from the collar into Fuwa’s neck. As Ansachu pulled on the collar, he pulled the tendrils out of Fuwa’s skin, and judging by Fuwa’s screams, it was anything but pleasant. But it was clearly necessary. And, Aruto noticed, with the collar damaged and being removed, Fuwa’s headset was back to glowing the proper blue.

Finally, the collar came free and fell to the ground with a loud metallic clank, and Ansachu descended on it, ripping still writhing tendrils—or perhaps they were thin wires, Aruto realized—apart and swallowing them, before he turned to ripping off great chunks of the collar and swallowing them whole.

Then Fuwa hit the ground, his body spasming, thin streams of blue blood leaking from his neck.

“Fuwa-san!” Aruto gasped, trying to get to his feet.

“Aruto shachou, please do not strain yourself,” Izu said. Faster than Aruto could follow, she hefted Jin up from where he stood, still staring blankly into space, whipping a dust-covered blanket off a chair and reclining him on it, then snapping manacles closed around his wrists and ankles. She left Ansachu to the collar, not seeing how it was harming anyone. 

She then quickly examined Fuwa’s wounds. The thin wires that had been under his skin had made a mess of things, but it didn’t seem as though there would be any long-lasting damage. None of his circuitry was exposed, surprisingly enough; it seemed to merely be surface damage. If she had a little time and the right equipment, she could easily do the repairs.

“Huh? What…where? H-hey!” There was a slight rustling sound as Jin struggled against his restraints, his eyes darting around frantically until they rested on Fuwa. “Fuwafuwa-chan! What did you do to him? You _hurt_ him!”

“No…it was that collar,” Aruto said, struggling to his feet. He sure hoped that Fuwa was free of anyone’s influence now, because he definitely didn’t want an encore of flying across the room. “The baby dodo pulled it off because it was hurting him.”

“Liar!” Jin struggled against his bonds again, his eyes wide as panic began to set in. “I told him we should go back home…Horobi said the humans are bad and will want to take Jin apart! I don’t…I don’t wanna be taken apart! I want to go home! Horobi!! Help me!”

Ansachu swallowed the last piece of the collar, burping in contentment, before changing back to his more humanoid form. He flapped his little wings, flying over to where Jin was violently jerking his limbs, soft whimpers leaving his lips as he tried to free them from the restraints, and landed on his chest. His small hand reached out to pat Jin’s cheek. “Nii-chan.”

A choked sob left Jin’s lips, and once again, he felt that strange feeling in his chest. Something about Ansachu’s form left him feeling…sad. He felt as though something were waiting for him, just out of reach, but when he turned to face it, it simply disappeared. What was happening? Was he malfunctioning?

Ansachu curled up on Jin’s chest and fell asleep, and Jin sniffled quietly. At least Ansachu was ok. Surely they wouldn’t hurt a baby, would they?

“Jin…”

“Fuwa-san, you should stay still, your injuries…”

“Jin, it’s all right. I’m ok. They didn’t hurt me…it was that collar. It was hurting me, but Ansachu took it off. I’ll be fine. So…be good, ok? Don’t worry. I’m here. Ansachu, too,” Fuwa managed to rasp.

“Fuwa-san, if you continue trying to speak with those injuries, you could cause irreversible damage to your voicebox. Please stay still. I do not wish to risk moving you until I can patch your wounds,” Izu finally said, her voice firm.

Just saying those few words seemed to exhaust Fuwa, and he simply did as Izu wished, allowing her to get him settled back on the floor once again. At least he knew that Jin and Ansachu would be safe, even if these injuries were too much and he couldn’t be repaired.

At least he’d done one good deed as a Humagear, he thought to himself, his eyes lulling closed.

*

_Taking off toward a dream._

Fuwa’s eyes slowly opened, and he felt a odd weight on his chest, spreading up toward his neck. Ah…had he been injured that badly? He tried to look downward without excessive movement, and he couldn’t help but smile when he saw Ansachu laying on his chest, looking up at his with huge, worried eyes.

“He’s been there ever since Izu finished patching up your wounds.”

Fuwa turned his head slightly to see Aruto heading in his direction, pulling over a chair and sitting beside him. “Shachou…”

“How do you feel?” 

“Functional,” Fuwa replied. “Jin…how is he?”

“He’s been quiet for the most part since earlier. I think he’s gone into sleep mode,” Aruto replied, then shook his head. “You sound worried about him. I don’t think I ever saw the old Fuwa worry about anyone but himself.”

Fuwa opened his mouth to retort, then closed it again. He couldn’t argue with Aruto, because it was true. Finally he said, “Well…I’m not him anymore.”

“It really does seem like something is causing a hiccup in his memories, whenever he sees the baby. I figured he would have had something to say about my defeating Ansatsu, but…nothing. Just like you said. It’s like he’s forgotten all about him,” Aruto said. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe whatever was wiped is still there, somewhere. There could be a lot more that’s been reset that’s still lurking in his databanks.”

“Horobi said Jin was his son.”

Aruto’s eyes widened “What?”

“He was planning on resetting me after he let that slip. Said it was more than I needed to know.” Fuwa grunted as he tried to sit up, holding onto Ansachu so he wouldn’t be disturbed. “I don’t know how true it is, or even how possible it is. He’s not going to be happy if he finds out that Jin is here, in the clutches of the enemy.”

“You shouldn’t be talking this much…”

Fuwa waved off Aruto’s words. “I’m not human. It’s not like anything needs time to heal or anything like that,” he said, reaching up to touch his neck. He’d been prepared to find traces of where the collar had rested, where the tendrils that had wormed their way deep into his skin, but instead…it felt relatively smooth. He didn’t know exactly what Izu had done to repair him, but clearly she knew what she was doing. “Tell Izu I said thank you. She fixed me up, didn’t she?”

Aruto nodded, then got to his feet. “Do you want to sit by Jin? It might make him feel better if he wakes up and sees you right away, and knows you’re ok.”

Fuwa slowly rose, shifting Ansachu slightly in his arms, and he absently rubbed his back to soothe him into sleep. His mind was furiously trying to work out their next move as he carried the chair over to where Jin was reclined. He wanted to find a way to restore Jin’s lost memories, or to at least convince him that he _had_ memories that were missing. Surely he had to wonder why Ansachu’s human form had made him freeze up, but he still seemed so fiercely devoted to Horobi, not knowing the terrible things he was doing…

Fuwa paused, then went back to Aruto’s side. “Is there a way to…I don’t know…bring up some of _my_ memories to show Jin? I was there when Ansatsu was still around, and I saw him interact with Jin. I saw Horobi reset Jin. If he sees some of these things, then maybe…”

“Maybe it could be a start in getting him to believe you, right?” Aruto concluded. “The memories could be brought up on a computer screen…that’s doable. I’ll ask Izu what needs to be done. If we can get him to believe you, then we can go from there, and see if we can examine his databanks. There’s a chance we might not be able to recover anything.”

“I know. I just…I want him to see the truth,” Fuwa said with a sigh. “I don’t know if he’ll hate me for it or not, but I hate seeing him idolize someone like Horobi. The things he’s done…”

Fuwa trailed off with a shudder, and Aruto wisely held his tongue. Whatever Fuwa was thinking right now, was not something he wanted to share.

“For now, just be there for him,” Aruto gently suggested. “I need to get some sleep, and I’ll ask Izu what we can do about accessing your memories. I have to lock you guys in, but I’ll be back in the morning, ok?”

Fuwa nodded. “I understand. I owe you both, shachou.”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll always help my friends, even if they’re dressed like my grandma’s couch,” Aruto teased.

Fuwa fought to suppress a smile, but he felt the corners of his lips quirk up for a moment. “Shut up.” 

Aruto grinned, suddenly feeling better about the whole situation. “There’s a couple of blankets in the closet, if you want them. Good night, Fuwa-san.”

Fuwa bobbed his head in thanks. “Good night.” 

After Aruto left, Fuwa checked the door—locked, as Aruto had promised. He didn’t know if it would keep out a determined Horobi, should he get it in his head to come looking for them, but it did make him feel a little safer.

He retrieved the blankets from the closet, carefully covering Jin with one, before he settled in his own chair and brought the blanket up around him and Ansachu.

Thankfully, his rest that night was free of nightmares.


End file.
